Western Springs Park District

What Western Springs Park District does

Western Springs Park District is an Illinois governmental taxing entity established on December 11, 1923 that operates 13 parks totaling nearly 91 acres within the Village of Western Springs. The District manages a portfolio of recreational facilities centered on its flagship 41.7-acre Spring Rock Park, which features a lighted tennis center, a pickleball complex built in partnership with the Rotary Club of Western Springs, a splash pad, playgrounds, and athletic fields. Additional parks include Springdale Park (under renovation through 2027), Laidlaw, Ridgewood, Timber Trails, Sereda, Ridge Acres, Northeast, Veteran's Memorial, and Commemorative Parks, providing playgrounds, softball, baseball, soccer, and tennis facilities across the Village.

The District serves the residents of Western Springs, Illinois, with intergenerational programming for outdoor recreation, youth and adult sports, picnics, and community events such as Harvest Fest, Halloween Bash and Chili Cook-Off, Movie Night, and Picnic in the Park. User groups include AYSO Region 300 Soccer, Western Springs Little League, Lyons Township Soccer Club, and partner school districts (101, 106, and 204), as well as SEASPAR for adaptive recreation. Volunteer programs, memorial tributes (trees $600-$800, benches $2,200), and event sponsorships ($500 Bronze through $5,000 Platinum) layer community engagement on top of the core park services.

The District is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Commissioners and operated by a lean staff led by Executive Director Walter Knake and Superintendent of Parks Dennis Conway, supported by a Manager of Community Relationships and Events, Risk and Operations Manager, Foreman, two Groundsmen, and seasonal workers. Capital projects are co-funded by the Western Springs Friends of the Parks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1998. Technology is limited to a RecDesk-powered online reservation system for courts and picnic areas; there is no AI, no proprietary software, no mobile app, and no API surface. Revenue derives primarily from property taxes levied on Western Springs residents, supplemented by facility reservation fees, sponsorship revenue, and tax-deductible donations.

Name

Western Springs Park District

Legal name

Western Springs Park District

Website

https://wsparks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Western Springs Park District is an Illinois governmental taxing entity, founded in 1923, that operates 13 parks across nearly 91 acres in Western Springs, delivering outdoor recreation, sports facilities, community events, and programming for local residents and partner youth leagues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Parks and Recreation

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

Keywords

• Parks and recreation
• Public park district
• Recreational facilities
• Community events
• Athletic fields

Headquarters

HQ city

Western Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: As a governmental taxing entity, the Park District receives funding through property taxes from Western Springs residents.
2. Facility Reservations: Revenue from picnic area reservations (pavilions and general park areas) and court reservations (tennis, pickleball) for residents and non-residents.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships of community events at various levels ($500 Bronze through $5,000 Platinum) including logo placement, social media recognition, and event participation.
4. Donations and Memorial Tributes: Tax-deductible donations through the Western Springs Friends of the Parks Foundation (501(c)(3)), plus memorial tree ($600-800) and bench ($2,200) programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Western Springs Park District is a governmental taxing entity that manages 13 parks totaling more than 90 acres in Western Springs, Illinois. It provides public outdoor recreational facilities including tennis courts, pickleball courts, playgrounds, athletic fields, picnic areas, pavilions, and splash pads, along with court and picnic reservation services, community events (Harvest Fest, Halloween Bash, Movie Nights), volunteer programs, memorial tributes, and corporate event sponsorship opportunities.

Product overview

Western Springs Park District is a municipal government agency that operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization manages 13 parks totaling over 90 acres, providing recreational facilities including pickleball courts (12+ courts across multiple parks), tennis courts (10+ courts), athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and pavilions. Services include court reservations, picnic reservations, volunteer programs, memorial tribute programs (trees and benches), event sponsorship opportunities, and community programming. A 501(c)(3) Friends of the Parks Foundation supports capital projects. The organization does not offer technology products, APIs, or software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Park District Services
• Pickleball Facilities
• Tennis Facilities
• Picnic Reservations
• Memorial Tree and Bench Program
• Event Sponsorship Program

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western Springs Friends of the Parks FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in 1998 dedicated to soliciting and allocating resources for capital projects at the 13 parks. Works closely with the Park Board to finance improvements consistent with long-range goals. Has assisted with walking paths, playground renovations, and pavilion construction.
• Rotary Club of Western SpringscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rotary Club of Western Springs to install 8 new pickleball courts at Spring Rock Park, featuring a shaded pavilion in the middle. This partnership provides dedicated pickleball facilities to the community.
• AYSO Region 300 SoccerminorOthersYouth soccer organization that organizes activities in Western Springs parks
• Western Springs Little LeagueminorOthersYouth baseball organization using park fields for games and practices
• Lyons Township Soccer ClubminorOthersYouth soccer organization using park facilities
• South East Association for Special Parks And Recreation (SEASPAR)minorOthersSpecial parks and recreation association serving the region
• Village of Western SpringsminorOthersRelated local government entity

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD): Statewide trade association representing Illinois park districts, providing advocacy, training, and best-practice frameworks that shape how entities like Western Springs operate. A governance/administrative peer rather than a direct operational competitor.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): National nonprofit that sets standards, certification, and advocacy for park and recreation agencies across the U.S. Comparable in mission around public recreation provision, but operates as an industry body rather than a single district.

Regional players

• South East Association for Special Parks And Recreation (SEASPAR): Regional special recreation cooperative serving communities near Western Springs. Already a partner of the District for inclusive programming, providing a regional delivery model for recreation services complementary to a single-district operator.

Direct peers

• Elmhurst Park District: DuPage County, IL park district managing parks, sports facilities, and recreation programs for an affluent suburban population directly adjacent to the Western Springs market. Near-identical operating model and customer base.
• Park Ridge Park District: Suburban Chicago municipal park district offering parks, recreation facilities, programming, and community events funded via property taxes. Closely mirrors Western Springs' scale, suburban profile, and service mix.
• Glen Ellyn Park District: Western-suburban Chicago park district operating under the Illinois Park District Code with comparable park acreage, athletic fields, and recreation programming. Similar funding structure and community-event orientation.
• Wheaton Park District: Illinois municipal park district in the western suburbs offering parks, athletic facilities, and community events under a property-tax funding model. Comparable size, demographic profile, and service portfolio.
• Naperville Park District: A large Illinois municipal park district also operating under the Illinois Park District Code, with a multi-park system, recreation programming, facility reservations, and similar tax-based funding model. Highly comparable governance, revenue mix, and service portfolio.
• Downers Grove Park District: Illinois park district operating multiple parks, recreation facilities, and community programming under the same state statutory framework. Comparable suburban Chicago demographic and park-service delivery model.

Others

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating and protecting parks and public land. Thematically adjacent in mission (parks preservation and community access) and could be a peer for capital/fundraising partnerships, though it does not operate local recreation districts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WSParkDistrict?fref=ts
• Instagraminstagram.com/westernspringsparkdistrict
• Xx.com/wsparkdistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/western-springs-park-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Western Springs Park District